James Gurney

This daily weblog by Dinotopia creator James Gurney is for illustrators, plein-air painters, sketchers, comic artists, animators, art students, and writers. You'll find practical studio tips, insights into the making of the Dinotopia books, and first-hand reports from art schools and museums.

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Friday, April 1, 2011

The New York Times and the Huffington Post reported recently that the Obamas have redecorated sections of the White House with prime examples of animation art from the Walt Disney Company, based on a comprehensive licensing agreement that will also bring Disney art to Capitol Hill and the Pentagon.

Reporter Carl Vogel reports:

The Obamas’ taste in art includes works from "Snow White," "Pinocchio," "Lady and the Tramp," and four other Disney classics. Works from those films were among some 45 pieces that the first couple borrowed from the Disney archives to decorate their private White House residence and the West and East Wings, the White House press office announced on Tuesday.

It is a big, wide selection of mostly background painting with custom animation cels created to fit within the historic frames that are part of the White House's decor.

In the weeks before the inauguration Michael Smith, the Obamas’ decorator, paid a visit to Disney headquarters to talk about what art he could borrow.

“We have one rule: We want to lighten the nation's mood right now. We think animation art is a good way to do it, and it's a vital American art form."

Mr. Smith, working with Michelle Obama and the White House curator, William Allman, made choices for the first family’s living quarters and office areas after perusing the Web sites of several motion picture studios.

“Michael Smith came to us with a long list of artists and asked me what was available,” Kerry Borvin, chief curator at the Disney archives, said in a telephone interview. “There are some very interesting figures. It’s more interesting and shows a greater diversity of art than I’ve seen.”

36 comments:

There's lots of places I could go with this post, but I'll be respectful - even today.

I really don't think that animation art belongs in the public areas of the White House. Period. If the Obamas wanted to hang it in the private quarters, fine. If visitors saw only art from the Thirties on (the beginning of animated movies), they might get the wrong impression about our country. It's our house, too.

It's surprising they forgot to mention the large collection of original John Buscema Conan art the Obama's had been decorating other rooms with. A number of people have speculated that this design trend was being used to beef up Obama's profile as being one of strength, but with the recent events in the Middle East some advisors are suggesting the works may create the impression as some sort of bloody-handed barbarian.

The Conan pieces are supposed to be exchanged for Ditko and Romita Spider-Man pages by day's end.

This is an April Fool's joke, right? I can't believe even Obama has such poor taste in art. Sure, animation is an art form, but putting a movie still in a gold frame removes it from its context and ultimately, from its medium. It's really not any different than framing a movie still of Braveheart and calling it art.

Hmmm. Isn't it interesting how many readers are offended by the display of animation art, preferring it only to the display of comic art, it seems. Have these same readers been following this blog at all? I would have thought this was one place where illustrators didn't have to fight to prove we make valid art? Perhaps if the Obamas decide to display something more Dinotopian...

Everyone is entitled to their opinion about the art they've chosen, and considering I don't watch TV I might be a little biased. We didn't have a TV when I grew up, so I missed the cartoon programs, although I saw plenty of them at the theater on Saturday afternoons. I have a great affinity for the illustrators of the turn of the century onward who did a great deal of advertising and packaging for American business. Would I have a problem with the Obamas choosing Leyendecker, Wyeth, Rockwell, Pyle, Parrish or any number of my favorites, with the exception of Vargas? Of course not. To imply that those who do cartoons (how about Winsor McCay?) are relegated to being 'just illustrators' is a bit much. I just don't think that Walt Disney cartoon art, no matter the subject, is prper in the White House, just like I don't think a Vargas semi-nude would be appropriate.

Its a shame that this is just a clever April Fools prank... animation art, especially from some of the disney classics are truly inspiring works to admire and treasure. The field doesn't get nearly enough respect by the public, but luckily artists (and children) tend to know great art when they see it! I look forward to the day that the great museums begin to show more animation art.

I'm still upset i missed this Pixar exhibition at the MOMA:http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/91

Interestingly enough it looks like MOMA is still very interested in the Pixar magic:http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/films/1181

Jimmy G-You can call me a fool, but I think a little more light-hearted fun, especially in inappropriate places, is just what we need more of. As far as animation as art is concerned, while it may not be ‘High ART’ (whatever that means), it certainly is the most creative art form I can think of. Just consider the many mediums and disciplines required to make an animated feature: writing and story-telling, drawing, painting, illustration, photography, the dramatic and performing arts- acting, singing, dance, choreography, staging, lighting, cinematography; Pre- and post-production work, computer graphics and fx- works. Its medium is essentially just light projected on a screen to create the illusion of movement, and it is as versatile as any art form: hyper-realism, expressive realism, surrealism, fantasy, even (dare I say it) abstraction and non-figurative!If the Obamas want to hang the Lady and the Tramp in the Oval Office, more power to em. (Save the graffiti for the perimeter walls.) -RQ

While this is obviously an april fool (the original backgrounds should be much smaller, by the way), I was really surprised by many comments. I thought people from US had a high regard for animation, but I was wrong. If I were american I would hold animation as the most original, creative and touching contribution of my country to figurative arts.

Lol! Gotta be an April Fool's joke. I'm a former Disney animation artist and even I don't like having that stuff hanging in any of the main rooms of my house! (I have mostly Waterhouse, Mucha and William Morris in the living room).